Celestron Micro Fi WiFi Microscope

The Micro Fi is a digital Wi-Fi handheld microscope that can transmit live images and videos via Wi-Fi. Simply download the free Micro Fi app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and you can explore the microcosm via your tablet or smartphone. Micro Fi has an ergonomic design so you can operate it with one hand. To take a picture, simply tap the touch screen of your smartphone or use the Micro Fi's shutter button. Up to three devices can connect to one Micro Fi - making it ideal for collaborating in groups. You can save the recorded images and videos directly to edit them or share them via email, MMS or social networks. In battery mode, you are independent of all cables; with three AA batteries, you can use it for up to two hours in continuous operation.

Specifications

MED Laboratory Technology Microscopy

MED Labortechnik Microscopy Digital microscopes offer surprisingly inexpensive ways to get images directly to a PC or even smartphone.

The world of digital microscopy

The American manufacturer Celestron enjoys an excellent reputation among astronomers; its telescopes are even used on the International Space Station. But it also has a lot to offer for exploring the microcosm - for research as well as for teaching and private users. What started a few years ago with classic light microscopes was quickly expanded to include the first digital handheld microscopes that connect to a PC or Mac via USB, and today includes a whole range of digital microscopes for a wide variety of application scenarios.

The microscopes usually come with their own evaluation software with measuring function for Windows, but they can also be addressed as a "webcam" with other software - so they can be used under different operating systems. There are models for three-dimensional specimens such as tissue samples at low magnification as well as solutions for transmitted light specimens on slides such as blood samples or thin sections.

Digital microscopes on the move

Modern digital microscopes open up completely new possibilities, especially for teamwork. The MicroFi (ref. #801604) is a digital Wi-Fi handheld microscope that can transmit live images and videos via WLAN. All you need is the free MicroFi app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and you can explore the microcosm comfortably on your tablet or smartphone. The MicroFi has an ergonomic design so that it can be operated with one hand. 

To take a picture, all you have to do is tap the smartphone's touch screen or use the MicroFi's shutter release. Up to three devices can connect to one MicroFi, making it ideal for collaborating in groups or viewing results directly with colleagues or patients. Recorded images and videos can be saved directly for editing or sharing via email.

The MicroFi's 0.3 megapixel colour CMOS provides up to eighty times magnification. It is therefore suitable for mobile use as well as for all objects that can be examined without preparation. The microscope has a photo thread for mounting on a tripod - for example at a fixed distance above a Petri dish.

The FlipView (ref. #822534) has no network capabilities and is designed even more for mobile use, but its image can also be displayed live on a monitor via the AV cable supplied. In contrast to the MicroFi, a much higher resolution is possible: the 5-megapixel sensor delivers single images as well as VGA videos with 30 fps, the optics with infrared cut filter consists of five glass elements. The images can be transferred to the PC via USB, or with an optional micro SD card. 

The FlipView owes its name to its swivelling and tilting three-inch LCD screen (7.6 cm), which allows a comfortable view virtually at all times. The metal stand allows the microscope to be fixed in one place, for example to document changes over time, while the lithium-ion battery also makes mobile use possible. Eight dimmable LEDs ensure that there is always enough light available without overheating the sample.

Laboratory microscopes

Celestron also offers solutions for laboratory use and for viewing transmitted light specimens on slides. The basis of the TetraView (ref. #801605) is a classic light microscope with four fully achromatic objectives (4x, 10x, 20x, 40x), coarse and fine focusing and dimmable LED transmitted light illumination. Instead of an eyepiece, however, there is a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen monitor that can be rotated 180 degrees and a five-megapixel CMOS camera for 40x to 400x magnification; digital zoom allows images to be displayed at up to 1600x magnification. Samples
can be observed together in small groups; for larger groups, the image can also be output via the TV output. Via a USB cable or the SD memory card, it is possible to transfer images and films to a computer for further evaluation.

Furthermore, it is not necessary to purchase a completely new microscope to transfer images of samples to the PC. The manufacturer offers a separate five megapixel microscope camera for this purpose. The Microscope Camera HD (5MP) (ref. #801587) fits all microscopes with 23mm or 30mm interchangeable eyepieces and connects easily to the computer via USB. The software for Windows and MacOS offers functions for measuring, calibrating and comparing images. Findings can thus be compared and reconstructed at any time. Aptina's CMOS sensor can also record video at 30 fps.

The times when an SLR camera had to be connected to the microscope or only expensive solutions from the manufacturers offered the possibility to easily transfer images to the computer are over. Today, inexpensive, high-performance CMOS sensors make it easy to transfer microscope images to computers and monitors. Depending on the requirements, it is thus possible to evaluate images quickly or present them to a large audience.